Catholic leaders express concern over Obama policies

The U.S. Conference of Bishops is meeting in Baltimore. On Tuesday, the group expressed concern about what they see as the weakening of religious liberty in the U.S.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan said the Catholic Church will not comply with the Obama administration mandate to provide birth control and abortion coverage in health insurance plans.

Catholics protested outside the conference, drawing attention to what they charge is the partisan and heated rhetoric used by the church leading up to the election from the pulpit, giving Catholics an ultimatum -- vote Republican or (be) against your church.

They delivered a 25,000 signature petition calling on church leaders to reconsider the perceived alliance with the GOP.

"We saw in New York City a pastor publish in his church bulletin an endorsement of Mitt Romney. We saw bishops in Green Bay, Wisconsin and in Illinois having letters read at every mass saying their souls are in eternal jeopardy if you vote for a party or candidate that supports an intrinsic evil," protestor James Salt said.

Exit polling revealed a majority of Catholics voted for President Barack Obama.

Despite the fact that his administration considers forcing religious institutions to provide health insurance plans that include contraceptive coverage and abortion-inducing drugs.

Bishops said this puts them on a potential collision course with the president.

"Right now, I could tell you the only thing we are certainly prepared to do is not give in. Not violate our consciences and not obey something we consider immoral," Dolan said.

The bishops view voter support of same-sex marriage as an opportunity to re-tool their message, not to bend to culture.

"The bishops, because we are supposed to be good teachers, are constantly saying, 'How can we be more effective? How can we be more credible in the way we present our teachings?'" Dolan said.

Bishops cite examples in Boston, San Francisco, DC and Illinois, that have revoked Catholic licenses of those who refuse to place children with same-sex couples. The University of California Hastings College of Law has denied student organization status to a group who believed in abstinence in sex before marriage. New York City barred small churches from renting public schools on weekends for worship services.

"If we abandon the dignity of the human person how are we going to make any kind of critique about what's good or bad, right or wrong, healthy or unhealthy?" Archbishop Allen Vigneron said.

Churches are exempt from the birth control rule, but religious affiliate hospitals and nonprofits aren't. A number of dioceses and charities have filed suit against the mandate.

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